Where is the UK on it’s journey to provide world class wellbeing support for it’s people?

By CC Andy Rhodes

I’ve decided to hit the keyboard after spending some quality time sharing research, practice and learning with colleagues from across the globe. Enthusiastic and committed academics, leaders, charities and clinicians from the UK, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and the United States all came together to raise the bar. In this blog I’ll set out where I think we are in the UK at the moment, what we need to do more of and just as importantly what we need to do less of.

One decision I’m glad we made.

5 years ago we set out to prioritise the evidence base and placed this at the centre of our work, resulting in the Blue Light self assessment which every one of the 43 home office forces (and many other law enforcement and blue light services such as the NCA, Fire Service, BTP, CNC) are working their way through. Why is this so important? Because too often people with a single issue believe they have the silver bullet for wellbeing and sometimes they have a vested interest to be blunt.

There is no silver bullet, it’s not that simple.

I’ve witnessed providers of services elbowing their way in for limited funding without a shred of robust evaluation to back their offer up. We have limited funds and must try our best to invest in the interventions we can prove add value. Everything else is window dressing. Also, some leaders are convinced that they simply need to talk about how much they value their people’s wellbeing and somehow things will miraculously improve. Hollow rhetoric that isn’t backed up with action which people see and feel in their workplace is a spectacular own goal and another good reason why we must actively listen to those nearest the work before we step onto our soapboxes. Cut out the big speeches and start listening before thinking you know what’s going on.

Working together.

Dr Edmund Lau from Hong Kong Police is a high quality clinician who understands that operational leaders must work hand in hand with his profession in the best interests of the people. This is a great message for anyone who feels the wellbeing agenda is the sole responsibility of one or the other. My experience of the crisis response highlights this well. Lots of effort when the big jobs happen (which is good) but ultimately all of us have to feel supported long into the future, sometimes forever. Ask anyone who has been passed from one line manager to another whilst trying to recover from trauma and they’ll back this point up. I’ve seen great people walk out of the door because of this. I have absolutely no time for turf war when it comes to wellbeing. If I see it I call it out and insist people resolve whatever ego trip they’re struggling with or move on. Wellbeing is about selflessness not professional egos getting in the way.

The contract.

Common across all of our colleagues is the desire to support every individual to build their own resilience from recruitment to retirement and beyond. We all feel that investment in pre-join screening, training inputs and then regular ‘check-ups from the neck-up’ are essential and we have a long way to go before we see the same level of attention going into psychological health and safety as we do into physical.

However, at the end of the day it’s up to the individual to invest in their own mental health just like it’s up to them to invest in their physical health.

The organisation can only do so much and so this is the contract we must make. I’ll work my socks off and up my game, invest in the time and funding necessary and never stop raising the bar........likewise we need people to start with self compassion.

Many colleagues spoke about the cultural stigma which is still alive and kicking within police and blue light communities. It’ll change over time and I see it changing very fast in the UK thanks to role models like John Sutherland and many others who have shown the courage to share their experiences. Personally I believe we need to re-design some of the ways we work to shift culture and regular debriefs, peer groups and embedding wellbeing into leadership development, promotion and the like are all opportunities so long as they are connected up.

And finally .......

In the UK we have the following strengths at this point in the journey:

A solid plan based upon the only sector specific self assessment out there (to my knowledge!)

National funding that will enable us to accelerate our efforts in the short term

A real movement of determined and committed frontline professionals who are starting to be listened to and empowered to set the agenda - not the bosses

In the UK we have more to do in the following areas:

We need to start looking at what Canada and the US are doing to legislate for blue light workers psychological health they’re miles ahead of us

We need to look at significant long term funding to enable us to build expertise and specialist support for the future

We must get out and engage directly with frontline in big numbers to convince them we are serious and we actually care

Moderator, Alastair Stewart, will open the conference, before the opening address.

Mrs. Gill Scott-Moore

Chief Executive, Police Dependants’ Trust

Gill is Chief Executive of the Police Dependants Trust. An accountant by profession Gill’s worked in FTSE 100 companies and NHS commissioning as well as a number of voluntary roles including BBC Children in Need. Her experience of policing began as an independent member of Surrey Police Authority where she had specific responsibilities for finance, performance and protective services. Since joining the PDT in 2014 she has been leading a programme of modernisation, expanding the activities of the trust with a specific focus on wellbeing.

Mr. Andy Rhodes QPM

Chief Constable, Lancashire Constabulary

Lead for Organisational Development & Wellbeing, National Police Chiefs’ Council. Andy Rhodes is the Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary. He is also the NPCC Lead for Well-being, Staff Engagement and Organisational Development. For the last 3 years Andy has held the position of Professional Community Chair for OD and International policing in the College of Policing. He was awarded the QPM in 2016 and has an MBA and a Post Graduate Certificate in coaching.

09:40 – 10:30

Keeping the peace and falling to pieces

In this session, John will discuss crime and calamity, adventure and achievement, friendship and failure, laughter and loss, the best and the worst of humanity, serious illness and slow recovery. With searing honesty, John offers an immensely moving and personal insight into what it is to be a police officer in Britain today.

Mr. John Sutherland

Chief Superintendent (Retd.), Metropolitan Police

John Sutherland joined the Met in 1992, having dreamed of being a police officer since his teens. Rising quickly through the ranks, and compelled by the opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives, he worked across the capital, experiencing first-hand the enormous satisfaction as well as the endless trauma that a life in blue can bring.

10:30 – 11:15

Trauma resilience in operational policing

Jess will provide an update on the Trauma Resilience in UK Policing project launched at the March 22 2017 conference on post-traumatic stress in frontline policing. A short revision session on the workings of the Policing Mind will pave the way for an exclusive preview of findings from the last 9 months’ work looking at trauma exposure in high-risk roles such as CSE, CT and SO15, call handling and firearms. The session will be infused with words from officers themselves as they talk frankly with Jess about their experiences of trauma and resilience.

Dr. Jessica Miller

Neuropsychologist

Research Fellow, Police Dependants’ Trust

Dr Jess Miller leads the Trauma Resilience in UK Policing project, bringing 20yrs research experience including work in critical incident support and preventing violent extremism. Jess now translates the latest neuroscience into the reality of operational policing. With the help of over 100 officers and staff in forces around the UK, she promotes simple techniques and manageable workplace changes to empower and protect the Policing Mind.

Break

11:30 – 11:45

Responding to need: an update from Police Dependants’ Trust

Drawing on the injury on duty research, the 2017 post-conference report on post-traumatic stress in frontline policing, and the body of work the Trust has been undertaking since 2015, Gill will give a brief overview of the Trust and its wider activities beyond today’s event, the role it plays in supporting both individual officers & families and the service as a whole, and the planned activities to further support the wellbeing of the service and its people.

Mrs. Gill Scott-Moore

Chief Executive, Police Dependants’ Trust

Gill is Chief Executive of the Police Dependants Trust. An accountant by profession Gill’s worked in FTSE 100 companies and NHS commissioning as well as a number of voluntary roles including BBC Children in Need. Her experience of policing began as an independent member of Surrey Police Authority where she had specific responsibilities for finance, performance and protective services. Since joining the PDT in 2014 she has been leading a programme of modernisation, expanding the activities of the trust with a specific focus on wellbeing.

11:45 – 12:30

Wellbeing in action: Initiatives in force

The Police Dependants’ Trust wellbeing grants have funded over 40 new initiatives in forces up and down the country since 2015. Aimed at projects that improve the wellbeing of officers and staff, grants of up to £3000 are awarded to fund relevant, innovative, and evidence-based projects at a local level. Five such projects are highlighted today:

Feel well, Live well, Kent (and Essex) Police

Amanda Humphrey

Pilot four-week programme to help empower staff to take responsibility for their own mental health and wellbeing and to equip them with the tools, techniques, and strategies to get through difficult periods.

Backup Buddy, Sussex (and Surrey) Police

PS Gary Botterill

The Backup Buddy Police Support app is designed to help with mental health issues. It gives practical advice and support on how officers can maintain good mental health, spot warning signs for themselves and others, plus advice on how to get help for themselves and colleagues.

Returning to work after parental leave, Essex Police

Rachel Evans

A programme to support men and women overcome the anxiety and apprehension of returning to work following parental leave. Through a series of lunch and learn sessions, staff are supported back to work and manage their work/life balance whilst reducing the guilt about not being at home with the children.

Contemplation room, Lancashire Constabulary

DC Tim Dodgson

The ‘Contemplation Room’ offers a calm and relaxing space for visitors to unwind away from their desks. The room has been used daily and has had a profound effect on the wellbeing of officers and staff.

Are you getting enough? Staffordshire Police

Suzannah Hollinshead

This ‘sleep to perform’ programme provides a series of seminars around essential sleep education, dealing with daytime stress, the transition between work and home, and how to sleep well at night, having a positive impact on their overall wellbeing and performance.

Lunch & Networking

13:30 – 14:00

3 approaches to Trauma Risk Management

This session will discuss trauma responses in policing and unpack the practical implications for policing, including trauma exposure risks, the role of leadership, personal resilience, and the signs that people are struggling. Noreen and Ian will then provide guidance for those involved in generalist and specialist roles, and touch upon disaster responses to traumatic events.

Dean of Applied Trauma Psychology studies, Middlesex University. Noreen has a special interest in psychological trauma and written two books on workplace trauma, as well as working with victims of the Manchester Bomb, the Paddington and Potters Bar rail crashes, victims of the 9/11 and 7/7 terrorist attacks, and a wide range of other traumatic incidents including child abuse, murder, rape, fatal accidents and road crashes.

Dr. Ian Hesketh

Senior Policy Adviser, College of Policing. Dr Ian Hesketh joined the Organisational Development and Leadership Faculty at the College of Policing having served in Lancashire Constabulary for thirty years working in a number of specialist teams including armed response, police partnerships and the mounted branch, as well as being seconded to the United Nations and the OSCE.

An Honorary Researcher at Lancaster University, his research interests are centred on Wellbeing and Transformation in the context of Policing.

14:00 – 14:30

Match Fit: Impact of sports, social and physical activity on police wellbeing

Mr. Matt Jukes QPM

Chief Constable, South Wales PoliceChair, Police Sport UK

Mr Jukes QPM was appointed Chief Constable of South Wales Police in January 2018 having joined as ACC in 2010. He began his career in South Yorkshire as a Constable in Sheffield, and has held positions within CID, local policing and counter-terrorism, as well as representing UK policing at G8 meetings in the United States. He is a member of the Prince’s Trust Advisory Council in Wales, has the NPCC portfolio for the recruitment, retention and wellbeing of investigators, and is Chair of Police Sport UK.

Ms. Helen Oliver

Research Assistant, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Helen is a PhD student at Cardiff Metropolitan University researching health and wellbeing at South Wales and Gwent Police forces. Understanding whether exercise, or another mechanism, can play a similar role in increasing resiliency over stress and improving wellbeing within police, the project will promote wellbeing across the forces, helping individuals to remain and thrive in work.

14:30-15:15

National wellbeing strategy – an update

In this session, Chief Constable Andy Rhodes, in his capacity as National NPCC Lead for Wellbeing, will give an overview of the national wellbeing journey so far and outline a brand new, exciting programme of work which will help to fulfil his ‘ambition to provide world class wellbeing support for policing’. A short Q and A will follow this session.

Mr. Andy Rhodes QPM

Chief Constable, Lancashire Constabulary

Lead for Organisational Development & Wellbeing, National Police Chiefs’ Council. Andy Rhodes is the Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary. He is also the NPCC Lead for Well-being, Staff Engagement and Organisational Development. For the last 3 years Andy has held the position of Professional Community Chair for OD and International policing in the College of Policing. He was awarded the QPM in 2016 and has an MBA and a Post Graduate Certificate in coaching.

15:15-16:30

Tabletop discussion: The way forward

This will include a coffee break and a discussion about the way forward.

Facilitated by Mr. Alastair Stewart

Journalist & Broadcaster

Alastair Stewart presents a range of news and current affairs programmes on the ITV network including “THE ITV EVENING NEWS” and “THE ITV LUNCHTIME NEWS”. His career started in 1976 with ITV’s Southern Television, in Southampton. He was a reporter, industrial correspondent, presenter and documentary maker. He recorded one of the last interviews with Lord Mountbatten, and even spent six weeks in Ford Open prison to make a half-hour documentary before joining ITN as an industrial correspondent in 1980.

In 2006, he was awarded an OBE for services to broadcasting and charity.

The Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd has heard from experts and senior officers on police wellbeing at a roundtable on Tuesday 16 January.

The roundtable, chaired by the minister, focused on how the government can assist police chiefs in their statutory duty to manage the welfare of their officers. It was attended by police leaders, including Chief Constable Andy Rhodes, who is the National Police Chiefs Council Lead on Wellbeing, as well as experts from across government, Public Health England, and mental health charities.

The College of Policing has also carried out important work in this area. CC Rhodes and Dr Ian Hesketh of the College have led the design of The Blue Light Wellbeing Framework – the first ever sector-specific self-assessment management tool. It is available via Oscar Kilo, a website that brings together those responsible for wellbeing and shares learning and best practice.

Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd said:

"Policing can be a very demanding job. Officers have demonstrated extraordinary courage and fortitude in the face of major challenges over the past year, including terrorist attacks and the Grenfell Tower fire. I am grateful to them for their tireless work and dedication to duty.

It is imperative that policing provides excellent support to its officers and staff – which is why I’m keen to listen to those with the most experience on how to do this best.

The government takes the issue of police welfare very seriously, and this event provides an opportunity to review progress so far and put plans in place for the future."